AlGaN/GaN/InGaN/GaN DH-HEMTs with an InGaN notch for enhanced carrier confinement

We report an AlGaN/GaN/InGaN/GaN double heterojunction high electron mobility transistors (DH-HEMTs) with high-mobility two-dimensional electron gas (2-DEG) and reduced buffer leakage. The device features a 3-nm thin In/sub x/Ga/sub 1-x/N(x=0.1) layer inserted into the conventional AlGaN/GaN HEMT structure. Assisted by the InGaN layers polarization field that is opposite to that in the AlGaN layer, an additional potential barrier is introduced between the 2-DEG channel and buffer, leading to enhanced carrier confinement and improved buffer isolation. For a sample grown on sapphire substrate with MOCVD-grown GaN buffer, a 2-DEG mobility of around 1300 cm/sup 2//V/spl middot/s and a sheet resistance of 420 /spl Omega//sq were obtained on this new DH-HEMT structure at room temperature. A peak transconductance of 230 mS/mm, a peak current gain cutoff frequency (f/sub T/) of 14.5 GHz, and a peak power gain cutoff frequency (f/sub max/) of 45.4 GHz were achieved on a 1/spl times/100 /spl mu/m device. The off-state source-drain leakage current is as low as /spl sim/5 /spl mu/ A/mm at V/sub DS/=10 V. For the devices on sapphire substrate, maximum power density of 3.4 W/mm and PAE of 41% were obtained at 2 GHz.     

InGaN背势垒AlGaN/GaN HEMT中的电流崩塌研究

Current collapses were studied,which were observed in AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors(HEMTs) with and without InGaN back barrier(BB) as a result of short-term bias stress.More serious drain current collapses were observed in InGaN BB AlGaN/GaN HEMTs compared with the traditional HEMTs.The results indicate that the defects and surface states induced by the InGaN BB layer may enhance the current collapse.The surface states may be the primary mechanism of the origination of current collapse in AlGaN/GaN HEMTs for short-term direct current stress.     

SiO/sub 2//AlGaN/InGaN/GaN MOSDHFETs

The characteristics of a novel nitride based field-effect transistor combining SiO/sub 2/ gate isolation and an AlGaN/InGaN/GaN double heterostructure design (MOSDHFET) are reported. The double heterostructure design with InGaN channel layer significantly improves confinement of the two-dimensional (2-D) electron gas and compensates strain modulation in AlGaN barrier resulting from the gate voltage modulations. These decrease the total trapped charge and hence the current collapse. The combination of the SiO/sub 2/ gate isolation and improved carrier confinement/strain management results in current collapse free MOSDHFET devices with gate leakage currents about four orders of magnitude lower than those of conventional Schottky gate HFETs.     

Surface Leakage in GaN/InGaN Double Heterojunction Bipolar Transistors

We report a study on the surface-leakage current in GaN/InGaN double heterojunction bipolar transistors (DHBTs) that are grown on a sapphire substrate. Surface-leakage-current densities on an unpassivated DHBT are 9.6 times 10^-5 - 5.8 times 10^-4 A/cm for JC = 0.5-50 A/cm². A fabricated n-p-n GaN/InGaN DHBT shows the common-emitter dc current gain of 42, the collector-current density of 5.2 kA/cm², and the common-emitter breakdown voltage (BV_CEO) of 75 V.     

Characteristics of Green Light-Emitting Diodes Using an InGaN:Mg/GaN:Mg Superlattice as p-Type Hole Injection and Contact Layers

Mg-doped InGaN/GaN p-type short-period superlattices (SPSLs) are developed for hole injection and contact layers of green light-emitting diodes (LEDs). V-defect-related pits, which are commonly found in an InGaN bulk layer, can be eliminated in an InGaN/GaN superlattice with thickness and average composition comparable to those of the bulk InGaN layer. Mg-doped InGaN/GaN SPSLs show significantly improved electrical properties with resistivity as low as ∼0.35 ohm-cm, which is lower than that of GaN:Mg and InGaN:Mg bulk layers grown under optimized growth conditions. Green LEDs employing Mg-doped InGaN/GaN SPSLs for hole injection and contact layers have significantly lower reverse leakage current, which is considered to be attributed to improved surface morphology. The peak electroluminescence intensity of LEDs with a SPSL is compared to that with InGaN:Mg bulk hole injection and contact layers.     

Effect of shroud flow on high quality InxGa1−xN deposition in a production scale multi-wafer-rotating-disc reactor

High quality InGaN thin films and InGaN/GaN double heterojunction (DH) structures have been epitaxially grown on c-sapphire substrates by MOCVD in a production scale multi-wafer-rotating-disc reactor between 770 to 840°C. We observed that shroud flow (majority carrier gas in the reaction chamber) is the key to obtaining high quality InGaN thin films. High purity H₂ as the shroud flow results in poor crystal quality and surface morphology but strong photolumines-cence (PL) at room temperature. However, pure N₂ as the shroud flow results in high crystal quality InGaN with an x-ray full width at half maximum (FWHM)_InGaN(0002) of 7.5 min and a strong room temperature PL peaking at 400 nm. In addition, InGaN/GaN single heterojunction (SH) and DH structures both have excellent surface morphology and sharp interfaces. The full width at half maximum of PL at 300K from an InGaN/GaN DH structure is about 100 meV which is the best reported to date. A high indium mole fraction in InGaN of 60% and high quality zinc doped InGaN depositions were also achieved.     

Effect of nucleation layer morphology on crystal quality, surface morphology and electrical properties of AlGaN/GaN heterostructures

Nucleation layer formation is a key factor for high quality gallium nitride (GaN) growth on a sapphire substrate. We found that the growth rate substantially affected the nucleation layer morphology, thereby having a great impact on the crystal quality, surface morphology and electrical properties of AIGaN/GaN heterostructures on sapphire substrates. A nucleation layer with a low growth rate of 2.5 nm/min is larger and has better coalescence than one grown at a high growth rate of 5 nm/min. AIGaN/GaN heterostructures on a nucleation layer with low growth rate have better crystal quality, surface morphology and electrical properties.     

预应变InGaN/GaN多量子阱发光特性调控研究

为了减弱InGaN/GaN量子阱内的压电极化场,在蓝紫光InGaN/GaN多量子阱激光器结构中采用了预应变InGaN插入层,通过变温电致发光和高分辨X射线衍射测量研究了预应变插入层对量子阱晶体质量和发光特性的影响。实验结果显示,常温下有预应变层的量子阱电致发光谱积分强度显著提高。模拟计算进一步表明,预应变层对量子阱内压电极化场有调制效果,有利于量子阱中的应力弛豫,可以有效减弱量子限制斯塔克效应,有助于提高量子阱的发光效率。     

AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors with InGaN back-barriers

A GaN/ultrathin InGaN/GaN heterojunction has been used to provide a back-barrier to the electrons in an AlGaN/GaN high-electron mobility transistor (HEMT). The polarization-induced electric fields in the InGaN layer raise the conduction band in the GaN buffer with respect to the GaN channel, increasing the confinement of the two-dimensional electron gas under high electric field conditions. The enhanced confinement is especially useful in deep-submicrometer devices where an important improvement in the pinchoff and 50% increase in the output resistance have been observed. These devices also showed excellent high-frequency performance, with a current gain cut-off frequency (f/sub T/) of 153 GHz and power gain cut-off frequency (f/sub max/) of 198 GHz for a gate length of 100 nm. At a different bias, a record f/sub max/ of 230 GHz was obtained.     

Growth of InGaN HBTs by MOCVD

The design and growth of GaN/InGaN heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs) by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) are studied. Atomic-force microscopy (AFM) images of p⁺InGaN base layers (∼100 nm) deposited under various growth conditions indicate that the optimal growth temperature is limited to the range between 810 and 830°C due to a trade-off between surface roughness and indium incorporation. At these temperatures, the growth pressure must be kept above 300 Torr in order to keep surface pit density under control. An InGaN graded-composition emitter is adopted in order to reduce the number of V-shaped defects, which appear at the interface between GaN emitter and InGaN base and render an abrupt emitter-base heterojunction nearly impossible. However, the device performance is severely limited by the high p-type base contact resistance due to surface etching damage, which resulted from the emitter mesa etch.     

Exciton states in wurtzite and zinc-blende InGaN/GaN coupled quantum dots

Based on the effective-mass approximation, exciton states in wurtzite (WZ) and zinc-blende (ZB) InGaN/GaN coupled quantum dots (QDs) are studied by means of a variational method. Numerical results show clearly that both the sizes and In content of QDs have a significant influence on exciton states in WZ and ZB InGaN/GaN coupled QDs. Moreover, the ground-state exciton binding energy decreases when the interdot barrier layer thickness increases in the WZ InGaN/GaN coupled QDs. However, the ground-state exciton binding energy has a minimum if the interdot barrier layer thickness increases in the ZB InGaN/GaN coupled QDs.     

组份渐变电子阻挡层对InGaN/GaN LED光电特性的影响

利用数值模拟方法,研究组份渐变电子阻挡层(EBL)对InGaN/GaN发光二极管电学和光学特性的影响。结果表明,三角形组份渐变EBL结构能有效减小器件的开启电压,提高光输出功率,改善高注入电流水平下发光效率的下降情况。能带模拟结果进一步表明,三角形组份渐变EBL结构显著提高了导带底的电子势垒,可有效限制电子向P型GaN层的泄露,同时减小了价带顶的空穴势垒,可增强P型GaN层的空穴向有源区的注入效率,改善其在量子阱内的浓度分布。     

Influence of growth conditions on the V-defects in InGaN/GaN MQWs

The influence of the growth temperature,TMIn/TEGa andⅤ/Ⅲratio on the V-defects of InGaN/GaN multi-quantum wells（MQWs） has been investigated and discussed.When the TMIn flow increases from 180 to 200 sccm,the density of V-defects increases from 2.72×10¹⁸ to 5.24×10¹⁸ cm^-2,and the V-defect width and depth increase too.The density also increases with the growth temperature.The densities are 2.05×10⁸,2.72×10¹⁸ and 4.23×10⁸ cm^-2,corresponding to a growth temperature of 748,753 and 758℃respectively.When the NH₃ flows are 5000,6600 and 8000 sccm,the densities of the V-defects of these samples are 6.34×10¹⁸,2.72×10¹⁸ and 4.13×10¹⁸ cm^-2,respectively.A properⅤ/Ⅲratio is needed to achieve step flow growth mode.We get the best quality of InGaN/GaN MQWs at a growth temperature of 753℃TMIn flow at 180 sccm,NH₃ flow at 6600 sccm,a flatter surface and less V-defects density.The depths of these V-defects are from 10 to 30 nm,and the widths are from 100 to 200 nm.In order to suppress the influence of V-defects on reverse current and electro-static discharge of LEDs,it is essential to grow thicker p-GaN to fill the V-defects.     

凹栅槽AlGaN/GaN HEMTs器件退火处理效应

研究了如何减小等离子体干法刻蚀导致的大肖特基漏电.用X射线光电能谱(XPS)分析刻蚀前后的AlGaN表面,发现刻蚀后AlGaN表面出现了N窄位,导致肖特基栅电流偏离热电子散射模型,N空位做为一种缺陷使得肖特基结的隧穿几率增大,反向漏电增大,肖特基势垒降低.介绍了一种AlGaN/GaN HEMTs器件退火处理方法,优化退火条件为400℃,Nz氛围退火10min.退火后,栅金属中的Ni与Ga原子反应从而减少N空穴造成的缺陷,器件肖特基反向漏电减小三个量级,正向开启电压升高,理想因子从3.07降低到了2.08.     

A monolithic white LED with an active region based on InGaN QWs separated by short-period InGaN/GaN superlattices

A new approach to development of effective monolithic white-light emitters is described based on using a short-period InGaN/GaN superlattice as a barrier layer in the active region of LED structures between InGaN quantum wells emitting in the blue and yellow-green spectral ranges. The optical properties of structures of this kind have been studied, and it is demonstrated that the use of such a superlattice makes it possible to obtain effective emission from the active region.     

DC and RF Characteristics of AlGaN/GaN/InGaN/GaN Double-Heterojunction HEMTs

We present the detailed dc and radio-frequency characteristics of an Al_0.3Ga_0.7N/GaN/In_0.1Ga_0.9 N/GaN double-heterojunction HEMT (DH-HEMT) structure. This structure incorporates a thin (3 nm) In_0.1Ga_0.9N notch layer inserted at a location that is 6-nm away from the AlGaN/GaN heterointerface. The In_0.1Ga_0.9N layer provides a unique piezoelectric polarization field which results in a higher potential barrier at the backside of the two-dimensional electron gas channel, effectively improving the carrier confinement and then reducing the buffer leakage. Both depletion-mode (D-mode) and enhancement-mode (E-mode) devices were fabricated on this new structure. Compared with the baseline AlGaN/GaN HEMTs, the DH-HEMT shows lower drain leakage current. The gate leakage current is also found to be reduced, owing to an improved surface morphology in InGaN-incorporated epitaxial structures. DC and small- and large-signal microwave characteristics, together with the linearity performances, have been investigated. The channel transit delay time analysis also revealed that there was a minor channel in the InGaN layer in which the electrons exhibited a mobility slightly lower than the GaN channel. The E-mode DH-HEMTs were also fabricated using our recently developed CF₄-based plasma treatment technique. The large-signal operation of the E-mode GaN-based HEMTs was reported for the first time. At 2 GHz, a 1times100 mum E-mode device demonstrated a maximum output power of 3.12 W/mm and a power-added efficiency of 49% with single-polarity biases (a gate bias of +0.5 V and a drain bias of 35 V). An output third-order interception point of 34.7 dBm was obtained in the E-mode HEMTs     

InGaN/GaN MQW双波长LED的MOCVD生长

利用金属有机物化学气相淀积(MOCVD)系统生长了InGaN/GaN多量子阱双波长发光二极管(LED).发现在20 mA正向注入电流下空穴很难输运过蓝光和绿光量子阱间的垒层,这是混合量子阱有源区获得双波长发光的主要障碍.通过掺入一定量的In来降低蓝光和绿光量子阱之间的垒层的势垒高度,增加注入到离p-GaN层较远的绿光有源区的空穴浓度,从而改变蓝光和绿光发光峰的强度比.研究了蓝光和绿光量子阱间垒层In组分对双波长LED的发光性质的影响.此外,研究了双波长LED发光特性随注入电流的变化.     

Characterization of quaternary AlInGaN epilayers and polarization-reduced InGaN/AlInGaN MQW grown by MOCVD

We have demonstrated the growth of quaternary AIlnGaN compounds at different growth temperatures and pressures with metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). The optical properties of the samples have been investigated by photoluminescence (PL) at different temperatures. The results show that the sample grown at higher temperature (850℃) exhibits the best optical quality for its sharp band edge luminescence and weak yellow luminescence. The AlInGaN exhibited three-dimensional (3D) growth mode at higher pressure. The band edge emission almost disappeared. With the optimization of AlInGaN growth parameters, we replaced the traditional barrier in InGaN/GaN multiple quantum wells (MQWs) with AlInGaN barriers. The peak wavelength for the InGaN/AlInGaN-MQW based light emitting diodes (LEDs) was very stable at various injection current levels because of the polarization-matched InGaN/AlInGaN MQWs.     

Double-Recessed High-Frequency AlInGaN/InGaN/GaN Metal–Oxide Double Heterostructure Field-Effect Transistors

We demonstrate a low-threshold AlInGaN/InGaN/GaN metal-oxide semiconductor double heterostructure field-effect transistor (MOS-DHFET) for high-frequency operation. A combination of an InGaN channel (for carrier confinement), a DRE process, and a new digital-oxide-deposition technique helped us to achieve MOS-DHFET devices with extremely low subthreshold leakage currents. This reduction in output conductance (short channel effect) resulted in a high cutoff gain frequency f_T of about 65 GHz and a current gain frequency f _max of 94 GHz. The devices exhibited high drain-currents of 1.3 A/mm and delivered RF powers of 3.1 W/mm at 26 GHz with a 35 V drain bias.     

Microstructural Investigation of Bilayer Growth of In- and Ga-Rich InGaN Grown by Chemical Vapor Deposition

Epitaxial InGaN with an In content of up to 89% was grown on a GaN template on a sapphire substrate using metalorganic chemical vapor deposition. The grown layer showed a bilayered structure of In- and Ga-rich InGaN parallel to the growth plane, as confirmed by both x-ray diffraction and electron microscopy. High-angle annular dark-field images revealed that pyramidal Ga-rich InGaN had formed on the top of the In-rich InGaN layer with an abrupt interface. Nucleation of the In-rich InGaN was believed to be related to threading dislocations stemming from the GaN buffer layer.